Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (2024)

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A quick and easy bowl of comfort from northern Portugal.

By

J. Kenji López-Alt

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (1)

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated February 18, 2023

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In This Recipe

  • The Basics of Caldo Verde

  • Choosing the Right Potatoes

  • Variations on the Soup

Why It Works

  • Russet potatoes give the soup a thick, creamy texture, while Yukon Golds hold their shape to give you nice chunks.
  • Finely chopped or shredded kale tenderizes rapidly and gives the soup a nice green color.

Caldo verde, a potato and kale soup from northern Portugal, is one of those dishes that seem custom-made for lazy rainy days, when you want something hearty and comforting but don't feel like putting in a ton of effort. It's made with a few cheap and simple ingredients, it takes all of maybe 10 minutes of prep work, and it's ready to eat just half an hour later. Oh, and it's all made in a single pot, too. And did I mention delicious? It's delicious.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (2)

The only way you could really make this any easier is if you could convince someone to make it for you. Even that might take more effort.

The Basics of Caldo Verde

Recipes for caldo verde don't vary too greatly. Most start with sautéing some form of allium (onions, leeks, garlic, or a mix) in olive oil, then adding kale, potatoes, and broth and letting it simmer. The only real differences come in the treatment of the kale and the degree to which the whole thing is cooked down. The best caldo verde I had in Portugal was cooked long enough that the potatoes almost completely broke down, thickening the soup into a creamy broth that was tinted deep green by finely shredded strips of kale. (Caldo verde means "green soup," so if you aren't cooking your kale long enough to turn the soup green, you ain't making caldo verde!)

Choosing the Right Potatoes

At the same time, I also like the idea of having a few heartier chunks of potato in the soup. It reminds me a lot of ajiaco, a Colombian potato soup made by boiling a few types of potatoes together. The starchier potatoes break down and thicken the soup, while the waxier varieties become tender but hold their shape better. I decided to use the same technique in my caldo verde.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (3)

It worked like a charm. After 25 minutes of simmering, russet potatoes become tender enough that some rough stirring causes them to shed starch and thicken the soup. Meanwhile, Yukon Golds hold their shape nicely. Twenty-five minutes is also plenty of time for even tough curly kale to soften up.

Variations on the Soup

The soup can be made entirely vegetarian by using either vegetable stock or water as the base, but chicken stock will give it a bit more flavor if you don't mind the meatiness. Adding some form of sausage to the soup is also not a necessity, but it's not uncommon. Sausages like chouriço, linguiça, or salpicão—a hard pork sausage flavored with red wine and paprika—are typically cooked separately, then added to the finished soup as a garnish. Most places I've shopped in the US that have these sausages available sell them precooked, which makes them very convenient for soups like this. Just slice them up and add them toward the end of the simmering.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (4)

Really traditional Portuguese-style sausages can be a little tough to find in the US, but any garlicky precooked or dry-cured pork sausage can stand in. Go with what's available and what you like.

January 2017

Recipe Details

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe

Cook45 mins

Active10 mins

Total45 mins

Serves6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter

  • 1 medium yellow onion or large leek, finely diced (about 8 ounces; 225g)

  • 3 medium cloves garlic, sliced (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • About 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1/2 pound; 225g)

  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 1/2 pound; 225g)

  • 6 cups (1.4L)homemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken stock (see note)

  • 1 bunch curly orlacinatokale, tough stems removed, leaves finely chopped (about 3/4 pound; 340g)

  • 12 ounces (340g) cookedlinguiçaor other garlicky pork sausage, cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (see note)

  • Minced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion (or leek) and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, adding olive oil as necessary to keep the mixture loose and moist.

    Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (5)

  2. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add kale and continue to cook until russet potato slices have completely broken down (you can press them with a spoon or potato masher for an even thicker texture), the Yukon Golds are tender, the greens have softened, and the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in sausage. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve garnished with chives, if desired.

    Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (6)

Special Equipment

Dutch oven or large saucepan

Notes

You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable stock in place of chicken stock and omitting the sausage.

Read More

  • Portuguese Garlic and Cilantro Bread Soup (Açorda à Alentejana)
  • Easy Creamy Potato, Leek, and Sauerkraut Soup
  • Southern European
  • Kale
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • Soups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
484Calories
37g Fat
25g Carbs
15g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories484
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g47%
Saturated Fat 11g53%
Cholesterol 51mg17%
Sodium 1335mg58%
Total Carbohydrate 25g9%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 34mg168%
Calcium 94mg7%
Iron 3mg14%
Potassium 1134mg24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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Caldo Verde (Portuguese Potato and Kale Soup With Sausage) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is caldo verde good for you? ›

Caldo Verde

With an abundance of vitamins, this dish not only promotes healthy eating but also incorporates the benefits of olive oil, which provides essential healthy fats for heart health.

What country would you eat caldo verde? ›

Caldo verde originated from the Minho Province in northern Portugal. Today, it is a traditional national favourite that has spread across the nation and abroad, especially to places where a large community of Portuguese migrants have settled such as Brazil, Macau, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Toronto.

What is Portuguese green soup made of? ›

Caldo Verde, which means “green broth”, is a simple Portuguese soup with regional variations but it most traditionally consists of broth, a shredded Portuguese cabbage similar to collard greens, potatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil and is served with slices of linguiça or chouriço.

What is the meaning of caldo verde? ›

Caldo Verde, meaning “green broth” in Portuguese, is a traditional soup in Portugal made with potatoes, kale or collard greens, smoked sausage and olive oil. This delicious Caldo Verde recipe is simple to prepare and made in just one pot.

What is the unhealthiest soup? ›

The 5 Worst Soups for Weight Loss (and 5 to Try Instead)
  • Clam chowder. Anything with the word "chowder" in it is probably going to be high in cream, fat, and calories. ...
  • Potato soup. ...
  • Lobster bisque. ...
  • Chili. ...
  • Broccoli and cheese soup. ...
  • Mushroom and barley soup. ...
  • Lumberjackie soup. ...
  • Chilled soups.
Jan 12, 2012

What is the healthiest soup you can eat? ›

Here are 7 healthy soups to fit your diet.
  1. Vegetable Soup. Vegetable soup is one of the best soups to eat. ...
  2. Tomato Soup. Tomato soup is a favorite low calorie and low fat food. ...
  3. Minestrone. Minestrone is very low in carbohydrates and calories. ...
  4. Black Bean Soup. ...
  5. Chicken and Vegetable Soup. ...
  6. Miso Soup. ...
  7. Turkey Soup.

What is the national soup of England? ›

Windsor soup or Brown Windsor soup is a British soup. While commonly associated with the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the practice of calling it 'Brown Windsor' did not emerge until at least the 1920s, and the name was usually associated with low-quality brown soup of uncertain ingredients.

Which soup is the best in the world? ›

Here is a list of the top 5 best soup in the world.
  1. Miso Soup (Japan)
  2. Pho (Vietnam) Photo by Kirill Tonkikh on Unsplash. ...
  3. Ramen (Japan) Photo by Frank from 5 AM Ramen on Unsplash. ...
  4. Borscht (Eastern Europe) Photo by Natalia Gusakova on Unsplash. ...
  5. Vegetable Soup. Photo by Pichara Bann on Unsplash. ...
Nov 4, 2023

What country eats soup for breakfast? ›

Enter the breakfast soup. In countries like Vietnam, Colombia, Tunisia, and China, soup is ladled out by the bowlful to early morning crowds. These soups are made with staple ingredients like chickpeas, rice, or lentils.

How do you thicken kale soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Which potatoes are best in soups? ›

Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded Potato Soup.

What is Portuguese blood sausage called? ›

Morcela. Morcela is a blood sausage, typically served in rural regions of Portugal like Guarda and Portalegre. Besides pork meat, morcela also has the animal's blood, which gives it a different consistency (soft and crumbly) and a darker color compared to chouriço and linguiça.

What is the difference between soup and caldo? ›

Depending on whom you ask, caldo is either a soup or a stew, but the truth is, a real caldo is neither. A soup is a sopa and a stew is a guiso, like carne guisada, the gravied friend of a warmed flour tortilla. But a caldo is a broth.

What is the English word for Verde? ›

green [noun] the colour/color of grass or the leaves of plants.

How old is caldo verde? ›

The origins of 'Caldo verde' were in mid-15thcentury – but it can be oldest – and it was born in Northern Portugal, more specifically in Minho region. However, over the years, the recipe has been adapted according to the region where it's made.

What is the healthiest Nigerian soup? ›

Here are a few Nigerian foods that are known for their medicinal properties:
  • Bitter Leaf Soup. Bitter leaf soup, also known as Ofe Onugbu in the Igbo language, is a traditional Nigerian soup made from the leaves of the bitter leaf plant. ...
  • Okra Soup. ...
  • Egusi Soup. ...
  • Pepper Soup. ...
  • Moringa Soup.
Mar 31, 2023

What is the most nutritious Nigerian soup? ›

Egusi Soup

The soup is made from the seeds of melon, an oil-rich plant. Egusi seeds are rich in carbohydrates, protein, fibre, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and many other minerals. The soup is made with a lot of extra ingredients like meat and fish which greatly increases its nutrient components.

What is the healthiest soup to eat why? ›

Think chicken and vegetable, turkey and black bean chili, or lentil. The liquid will fill you up for relatively few calories, while the fiber from the vegetables and the protein from the chicken or beans will help keep you satisfied until your next meal or snack.

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